Former city councilman opens Gastonia nightclub

Walker Reid came of age crooning in nightclubs as a teenager in the 1970s, offering his rhythm-and-blues-loving spectators evenings they wouldn’t forget.

He still takes the stage occasionally, these days with fellow members of Image, his longtime Gastonia singing group. But in a new endeavor, Reid has gone from being the entertainment to lining it up..

“After hearing so many people talk about how there were not enough places to go and socialize in Gastonia, it got the wheels in my head spinning,” he said Wednesday from the bar of his new private nightclub.

Grown Folks, just west of downtown at 420 W. Main Ave., is Reid’s remedy. The retired Mecklenburg County firefighter and former Gastonia city councilman has signed a two-year lease on the cozy one-story building, which previously housed clubs such as Connections and Night Owls.

Since opening the doors about a month ago, Reid has been working out the kinks and tweaking his business plan to give himself the best chance of success. He envisions operating as a private club Friday and Saturday nights, but also renting the space for special events such as family reunions, birthday celebrations and bachelor parties. On Thursdays dance classes, karaoke and other specialty entertainment will be on the menu.

As the name implies, Grown Folks isn’t for everyone. An annual membership costs $25, and members for most events must be 30 or older and abide by a dress code.

From his years in entertainment, Reid knows the main thing civilized adults want during a night out is some assurance of safety. That means not being subjected to hot-headed patrons who either can’t handle their alcohol or are looking to start trouble.

“My key goal is to provide an adequate and safe social environment where people can come and entertain friends and have a good time,” he said.

Much of the night club’s interior has been retained, from the red teardrop accent lights over the mahogany bar to the checkerboard dance floor a few feet away. Reid made the place his own by adding new decor on the walls, a pair of high-definition televisions, and a disco ball to go with the new sound and lighting system in the main room.

New signs have made Grown Folks easy to spot from the outside, and Reid plans to add accent lighting to increase his visibility along Main Avenue.

Operating as a private club frees Reid from having to incorporate food sales into his alcohol business, under the terms of his alcohol permits with the state. But he can still have events catered when necessary.

Reid also wants to avoid the likely categorization of being a “black club.” Small-scale concerts that include jazz and possibly even country musicians may be in the works.

He envisions offering classes for line dancing and Latin and tropical dance styles such as merengue, a Dominican shuffle.

“I want to have a diverse membership and attendance, so I’m trying to offer a diverse social entertainment environment,” said Reid.

Reid said he secured about 115 one-year memberships in his first weekend, and is now up to 150. His goal is to reach 200 to 300 members. His wife is managing the rental aspect of the business.

The direction in which he takes the club will largely be dictated by what members want.

“I’m open to suggestions,” he said. “But I want to be patient. I don’t want to make some of the same mistakes others in this business have made.

“I think the biggest thing for me now is getting the word out.”

You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or twitter.com/GazetteMike.